Veeranna Charantimath, BJP’s candidate for Bagalkot bypolls campaigned in Bagalkot on Saturday. | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
As the bypoll fever rises along with the ambient temperature in Bagalkot, different narratives seem to be emerging from the BJP and Congress camps. While a group of senior Congress leaders are busy campaigning for Umesh Hullappa Meti, the party’s nominee, Veeranna Charantimath, the BJP candidate, seems to be isolated and largely left to fend for herself.
The image of Mr. Charantimath as a hot-tempered leader against Mr. Umesh Meti, who is seen as soft and approachable, seems to have focused the campaign on individuals rather than parties.
Mr. Charantimath’s main political opponent is his younger brother Mallikarjun Charantimath, a Congress leader. Mr. Mallikarjun Charantimath contested the 2023 elections as an independent and got more than 10,000 votes. Hullappa Yamanappa Meti of the Congress won this election by a margin of about 5,800 votes. A few months later, Mr. Mallikarjun Charantimath joined the Congress.
After the polls were released, there were rumors on social media that he was going to join the BJP. But he opposed them. He said that several BJP leaders from Bagalkot and Bengaluru had contacted him and asked him to join the BJP.
“No BJP leader has met me so far. They don’t have the moral courage to meet me. They are only calling and inviting me to join the BJP. My question to them is about the timing of their invitation,” he told reporters in Bagalkot recently. He was present when Mr. Umesh Meti filed his nominations and was active in the Congress campaign.
Other senior BJP leaders with local clout like Murugesh Nirani, a former minister, and Basavaraj Katageri, a former chairman of the Bagalkot town council, are yet to join Mr. Charantimath’s campaign. Some leaders like PH Pujar, former MLA, and Hanumant Nirani, MLC, are seen at public meetings. They also campaign in parts of the city, but they are not seen together with the party’s nominee.
When reporters asked Mr. Charantimath about the absence of some leaders in his campaign, he said that he would not invite anyone to support him. “Only those who have a genuine interest in the victory of the party will join the campaign without question,” he said.
“Mr Charantimath served as our MLA three times in the past. But he could not take everyone with him. He targeted a few of his loyalists, his education society and his cooperative society. This alienated him even more,” said a senior BJP leader who served as a zilla panchayat member.
Mr. Charantimath’s long-standing friendship with expelled BJP leader Basanagouda R. Patil Yatnal is no secret. On the day the BJP announced its candidates, Mr. Yatnal said he would camp in Bagalkot for a week and campaign for his friend. Not everyone in the BJP camp believes Mr. Yatnal’s presence will help the party. They feel it would damage the campaign and embarrass the party as Mr Yatnal is known to insult and ridicule party president BY Vijayendra and his father BS Yediyurappa.
Responding to questions from reporters as if on cue, Mr. Charantimath said that he had not invited Mr. Yatnal but had heard that he was volunteering for him.
Published – March 30, 2026 0:36 AM IST
